Ignatius Piazza and Front Sight in
Playboy Magazine German edition

Playboy magazine (German edition)

Theory and practiceAspiring shooters are taught how a submachine
gun works and Front Sight.

Author: Andreas Wenderoth
Photography: Engel and Gielen

In the early morning, fifty miles southwest of Las
Vegas, an illustrious group gathers in the middle of the desert. This
is just a bunch of ordinary men wearing mirrored sunglasses. They are
trying to learn more about a subject which - although potentially of
critical importance - tends to be neglected in civilian life - how to
shoot a sub-machine gun correctly. Included among those that have made
the trip here are a wide variety of businessmen, a police trainer, a
private detective and a Japanese student that is wearing a martial arts
T-shirt depicting a masked anti-terrorist fighter at work. The Japanese
student mentions that he is studying international relations.

Dr. Ignatius
Piazza, has recognized the need for such training and has established
the Front Sight Firearms Training Institute.
Dr Ignatius Piazza confidently states
that "We are a part of the solution to gun violence." Dr.
Piazza is a man with vision. He has invested approximately10 years
and millions of dollars, with which he is looking to create "the most
secure residential estate in the world" - located amongst the shooting
stands and simulators, and covers an area larger than two million square
meters (~500 acres). It will be a "Disneyland" for weapon fans, a city
for shooters, which will provide a combination of the utmost in modern
creature comfort with a meaningful activity. Essentially, this means
shooting and being prepared for those that can shoot. It is expected
that this gigantic project of over 25 million dollars will be under
construction until the end of the year 2002. Nevertheless, it is already
possible to shoot here. Today, a free introductory course is taking
place.

Ordinary family men travel
to the desert to learn how to shoot submachine guns.

Dr. Piazza
is standing under a provisional white tent, wearing a military uniform
and clasping his hands behind his back. In a soft voice, he describes
the various levels of shooting competence. The lowest level contains
the" unconsciously incompetent", meaning those that are unaware that
they know nothing. In a "duel" with such a person, you would only have
a chance of survival if your opponent were to possess a still greater
level of unconscious incompetence. Survival chances are far better once
the third level- which the doctor refers to as "conscious competence"
- has been reached. However, one should aspire to achieve the level
of "unconscious competence". At this level, all procedures become fully
automatic. "What you have learned here, you will take home with you."

Dr. Piazza
next explains that he needs to cover some theoretical ground. The weapon
available at this course was the Cobray M-11 9mm submachine gun. It
is a relatively inexpensive and easy to operate weapon, says the doctor.
(Free submachine gun courses in 2000 now feature Uzi 9mm submachine
guns.)

When he starts to cover general safety information, the course participants
begin to look as if someone in an airplane were explaining the use of
life jackets. Dr. Piazza
explains that there can be serious problems if the finger remains on
the trigger when it should not be on the trigger. He goes on to explain
"If you cover your leg with the muzzle of the submachine gun and inadvertently
press the trigger, by the time you notice the pain from the first bullet
and remove your finger from the trigger, you will already have five
more in your leg". Over 3,500 people attended the free submachine gun
course in 1999 with only a single safety incident which actually happened
in this class when a student received a cut on his forehead from a piece
of flying brass. Front Sight claims
the finest safety record in the world.

Desert campAlthough there are only tents there now, an entire
city will be built on more than two million square meters of land.

Later in the training, six instructors "with a military
background" take over the group. One explains that the goal is "To
stop the individual". Efficiently "immobilizing the opponent" means
that the bullets have reached the target chest or headarea in a sufficient
density. The trainer explains that only in exceptional cases is it allowed
to shoot the opponent in the head. The instructors also note it is generally
bad if you hear the shots of your opponent first. The say, "In a gun
fight, it is better to give than to receive. Andit is better to give
first!"

On the yellow lineCourse participants line up on the yellow firing
line. They begin with learning to clear the weapon.

The yellow line is the firing line. Standing at a
30degree angle: the magazine in the left outside pants pocket, the knees
are slightly bent, the silencer is slipped on with the left security
hand, the chamber is checked, felt along with the finger, the magazine
is inserted, the safety is released, elbows firmly pressed to the body,
steel against the cheek, intercept recoil with the stance, quick check,
left, right, back to the target ("What is the wounded opponent doing?").

In the only safety incident in 1999, one of the most
ambitious course participants received a cut in the forehead due to
apiece of flying brass cartridge that made an impressive wound above
his safety glasses. Dr. Piazza
explains the wound will simply be sewn up with a couple of stitches.
The student and the rest of the group remain in a good mood as the next
rounds were already being fired into the "criminal" targets.

PrideThis course participant hits the marked chest
area with almost every shot on a single, full-auto burst from
an entire magazine.

By evening, most of the participants saw a significant
increase in the number of hits. The Japanese participant was glad that
he was shooting much denser than a month ago. Only the German journalist,
who was apprehensive almost the entire time, was politely reprimanded
because he continued to shred legs, while he was being asked to aim
for the chest area.

As the final exercise, all participants are allowed
to fire an entire 25 round magazine with one press of the trigger. Many
of the students are able to keep all of their shots within the chest
in one burst of full-automatic fire. Students leave the course enthusiastically
talking about when they will return for another course at Front
Sight.

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